Ghatal (ঘাটাল Ghāṭāl) is a heritage town on the Shilabati River in West Bengal.

Understand

The culture of Ghatal is different from the rest of Paschim Medinipur, especially regarding rituals and customs. The Shitala worship is carried out with a procession of hundreds of dhaks, and open operas acting on the stage dragged and pushed by the men on pitch road running through the town.

Nearby Birsingha (বীরসিংহ Bīrsinho) is the birthplace of social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar.

Get in

By car

By far the best way to get into Ghatal. The town is on NH 116A, which connects Ghatal to Arambagh and Panskura.

By bus

• 1 Ghatal Central Bus Stand. Served by multiple buses, including one SBSTC bus between Digha and Khirpai. (updated Jul 2026)

By train

Ghatal is one of the few major towns in the region without a proper rail connectivity. Both Arambagh PC Sen  HWH  and Panskura  SE  are equally far away from Ghatal at about 32 km (20 mi).

See

• 1 Brindaban Chandra Temple, Konnagar. Constructed in 1791, it is one of the few temples in the region with terracotta panels of exquisite quality. (updated Jul 2026)
• 2 Vidyasagar Smriti Mandir, Birsingha.  (updated Jul 2026)

Do

• 1 Eco Tourism Park.  (updated Jul 2026)
• Ghatal Town Hall. Hosts science exhibitions, seminars on science and literature, awareness programmes on health and agriculture, and various musical, dance and magic shows. (updated Jul 2026)

Stay safe

Ghatal lies on the flood-prone Rupnarayan Valley.

Go next

• Khirpai —
• Narajole —